


Coffee and Kisses

by Jimmytheweirdo



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Coffee Shops, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-08-28 16:21:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8453302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jimmytheweirdo/pseuds/Jimmytheweirdo
Summary: This is my first fan fic I've written in chapters. I wrote it originally for a friend on tumblr but thought I would post it here as well! It's the beginning of sabriel love, it's super fluffy! Enjoy :)





	1. Lavender Lemonade

The steam in the coffee house gushed out of different pipes, making Gabriel's hair swirl around like he was in a shampoo advert. Everyday, different aromas of new coffee beans and sickly syrups would fill the air. Depending on the seasons, the flavours would change: berries in the summer and pumpkins in autumn; sweet, fresh raspberries in the spring and spices and cloves in the winter. Noise, movements, sights all merged into one because everything was so quick-paced in the cafe. Gabriel always wanted to own a coffee shop when he was little. Well, it was going be a 'cake and sweeties kingdom' then, but he soon discovered that amazing flavours didn't just come in food. Bitter, sickly, creamy, icy: so many choices, so many possibilities. 

Three years his cafe had been opened, it was his passion; his pride and joy. Gabriel's father had always said to follow what your heart tells you to do. He was a good man, stern but respect worthy. So Gabe followed this rule and built his kingdom. It was in the second year of opening that everything changed; the swirling motion of magic halted and something new stepped into his coffee shop and into his life. 

Summer strolled in and the iced teas and fruit Frappuccino’s started flying off the shelves. It was warm in the cafe, but it always was - cute little wooden tables all occupied by nattering bodies, filling the cafe with the hum of chatter. The business was good and that made Gabriel smile. He liked seeing all the different people who came in: some rushing off to be somewhere else; some lazing around gossiping with friends they hardly ever saw; some sitting reading silently for hours and hours upon end. It was a Tuesday, and this is where our story starts. A particularly hot Tuesday, meaning Gabriel had opted for a thin white t-shirt rather than his usual baggy shirt and shorts-that-brushed-his-knees combination. His usual shorts fit him how shorts would fit the thinnest, nerdiest kid at school, the kid who was sure to get bullied. But none of this mattered to Gabe; he was going to be behind the counter all day so he couldn't care less. Gabriel was always a relaxed man, maybe too relaxed. His too-long hair, one of the consequences of his over-relaxed attitude, was brushing against his already warm neck causing sweat to trickle down to his back. A little red rim had been left over his wrist from where the hair bobble had sat, now that he had pulled his hair into a messy little bun. 

For some reason, Gabriel was happier than usual today; a spring in his step as he bustled around from one side of the cafe to the other, pouring an array of different liquids into blenders and writing misspelled names, often on purpose, onto plastic cups in his huge swirling writing. 

He hadn't noticed yet that another customer had entered the shop. The guy was panting slightly, a rose tint painted onto his cheeks - he'd stopped at the coffee house to grab a drink after he had realised it was a foolish idea to go on a run, the weather was too hot and the sun had beaten down on his back, burning him inside and out. As his heart rate began to settle back to it's usual pace, the man walked up to the counter which Gabriel was standing behind. Gabe, still oblivious to the sweating man before him, had begun doodling on a scrap of napkin, slouching down with his elbows on the bench, like a schoolboy who had lost all interest in the lesson. When he finally noticed his new customer, he jumped up with the spirit of a little pixie. 

"Hey there! What can I get you?" Gabriel had rehearsed the line a thousand times before, but this time the cheery smile that accompanied his phrase was genuine. The man was incredibly tall, stood like a tree, well built, but almost bristling with energy. Gabriel guessed he had been running before entering the cafe as he wore a tight, grey, sleeveless vest meaning Gabe could see every muscle in the guy's forearms. The blush was beginning to fade from the runner's cheeks, revealing the glistening golden tan of his skin. The hazel of his eye's caught the sun and shone like little beacons as he scanned the menu behind Gabriel. "Uhhh... Could I have a large lavender lemonade?" The guy replied with a charming smile that sent Gabriel into a dizzying hypnotic state. 

"What, uh, wh-what name do you want on that?" Gabriel asked, still attempting to shake off the trance that the beauty of this guy had put him under. 

"Sam." The guy replied plainly. He noticed the drawing that had been occupying Gabriel's time before he arrived, and a smile spread across his face, like an over-excited puppy. "Wow! That's amazing! You've got a talent there!" He cried, pulling the napkin drawing of a little castle made out of candy towards him. This comment made Gabe smile; he loved it when his art was noticed and appreciated - especially by such a good-looking guy. 

"Thanks." Gabe was still holding the black marker he had used to write Sam's name on the cup, twizzling it between his fingers. Talking to Sam had put him in such a cheerful mood, that he decided to draw something on the cup grasped in his little hands. The thought raced through his head that if he drew something, the guy would have to stay a little longer, so he frantically deliberated for a minute or two what to draw: he didn't know anything about the guy, he'd just met him! But he eventually decided to draw something that everyone loved - a cute little dog! Turning his back to Sam, Gabriel swiftly drew a small, floppy-eared puppy on the side of the cup, before walking over to the fridge.

After filling his arms with more produce than he could carry, half of which he didn't even need - God, being around this guy made him nervous - Gabriel poured the gloopy honey into the cup, spiralling the thick goo around it making a pretty pattern, and then mixing in a concoction of lemons, limes, sparkling water, a couple of sugar cubes and a beautiful smelling lavender syrup. He popped a sugar cube into his mouth as well; he had such a sweet tooth and he couldn't resist. A little shake and then a straw through the top - just like the questions he had asked earlier, this had become a repetitive routine for him now. 

"There you go, Sammy." Gabriel smiled at the burly runner and, although at first he seemed taken aback by the nickname, a smile grew on his face in response. 

"See you soon." Sam flung the words into the air nonchalantly but they echoed through Gabriel's mind, reverberating like ripples as if Sam had just thrown a shell into the sea. 

That was the first time they met. Sam kept the cup - the drawing was just too cute for the trash, not as cute as the barista though - and Gabriel waited everyday for Sam to pull through on his last couple of words... see you soon.


	2. Peach and Raspberry Sunrise Smoothie

The next time Sam and Gabriel met was 3 days later. The sun wasn't scorching the world as it had on their first meeting: today it was like a warm blanket, mellow and calming. Sam was walking Moose, his beloved puppy; she was huge Great Dane, the only kind of dog that could keep up with Sam's lengthy strides. Sam liked walking Moose because it gave him time to think. Whilst walking, his mind would wander, stretching to all different thoughts imaginable. But today he was stuck on one - the guy at the coffee shop. He hadn't planned to walk there, but absentmindedly had ended up right outside the door. He tied Moose up outside, rubbed the back of her ears and turned to go into the coffee shop. Sam had to hold himself back from running inside to see the cute little barista who had served him last time.

His put his hand on the door to push it open but his arm slipped a little as he did. It hit him like a gust of wind that his palms had become very sweaty, very quickly. After he stepped into the coffee house his heart sank, as he couldn't see the guy from Tuesday anywhere. He strolled over to the counter; it wasn't like he could just walk in and then leave straight away.

"Hey there! What can I get you?" Gabriel's voice wandered up from below the counter, taking Sam by surprise. He felt his heart soar a little when he realised who the disembodied voice belonged to. "Sorry I'm just coming... One Second." Gabriel struggled to get his words out, as he tussled under the counter with some pipes or something - Sam didn't have the best view. Like a loveable jack-in-a-box, Gabriel jumped up, beaming at Sam, as a wisp of hair fell across the middle of his face. Gabriel crossed his eyes and let out a little breath to push the hair back into its place and Sam couldn't help but let a small giggle escape from between his lips. "Oh it's you!" Gabe exclaimed, the sight of the guy in front of him seemed to brighten his face, and a warm feeling grew inside Sam as he stared at Gabriel's toothy grin.

To the both of them it seemed like they stood motionless in time, stuck staring at each other for an uncountable amount of hours, maybe days. For anyone else watching the two of them it lasted less than 3 seconds and seemed nothing unusual: no one would have known that at that second taking in every inch of each other was the first sign of a bud that would bloom into the most delicate flower.

"Uh. Yeah. It's me, Mario!" Sam had this tendency to say dumb references to his childhood when he was lost for words. He recalled staying up all night on the first weekend of their summer holidays playing Mario kart with his older brother, Dean. He never won and was always made to play as Princess Peach because Dean told him he had to. He stood there a little dumfounded at what he had just said to Gabriel - fearful that he'd just blown his chance of ever looking cool in front of this guy again.

Gabriel chuckled under his breath. "Goddamn, a nerd! Even cooler!" He beamed at Sam, falling for him more and more as seconds passed.

"So anyway, I wanted to say that I really liked the drawing of the puppy. On my cup. The drawing, on the cup," Sam had been tongue tied before, but never this bad - it was like staring into this guy drained all his confidence, leaving him breathless and nervous. "Not that I only came to say that, I wanted to grab a drink as well. Oh yeah, the drink inside the cup was great too." Sam couldn't explain what was happening as he stuttered and spurted out a random string of words hoping they made sentences.

Gabriel stood there, watching the huge puppy of a man stumble on his words, smiling at the adorable sight. "I'm gonna make you a drink, okay?" Gabriel turned around leaving Sam to gather himself after noticing his skin had begun to burn with embarrassment. Sam actually hadn't ordered a drink so what Gabriel made was an utter surprise to him. But that wasn't the only surprise: today Gabriel drew a little Mario on the cup. Peaches, Raspberries, Strawberries - the summer had brought a plethora of different fruit, each one with different tastes and smells. Gabriel loved the sweetness of smoothies so he made his favourite for Sam: a sunrise smoothie.

Together all the ingredients mixed to make an intoxicating melody of flavours. Gabriel shook the cup to allow them all to merge together and stared distantly out of the window. Without thinking he uttered, "Awww that dog is so beautiful." He hadn't at the time realised that it was Sam's dog, but as he stood in awe of Moose, Sam explained that his brother Dean had bought Moose as a gift for him because Sam had always wanted a dog when they were little but their dad was allergic.

With every fact he learnt about Sam, Gabriel liked him just a little more. “Here you go Sammy.” Gabriel winked at the guy and Sam's dimples grew into delightful little caves of happiness as their fingers touched whilst the cup transferred between the two men.

"Thanks uhhh..."Sam was desperate to find out the guy's name and he had successfully slid it into a conversation without making a right fool of himself... Success!

"Gabriel or Gabe" The little guy replied, his face beaming with joy back at Sam.

"Thanks Gabe." Sam took a loud slurp of his drink and complimented Gabriel on how yummy it was. It was magical how similar the two of them were... It was like they had known each other forever, smoothies were Sam's favourite, especially one's made by Gabe.

Sam kept that cup too: each one a little souvenir and memory of Gabriel.

Summer rushed past, as quickly as it had come it left them again: temperatures dropping and additional layers of clothing being pulled out of wardrobes. But one thing stayed permanent, Sam and Gabe. Sam started going to the coffee shop more frequently, each time Gabe drew something on his cup, he kept himself up at night planning the next day's drawings - he couldn't let Sam down, he didn't want Sam to stop coming in. Some days Sam would bring Moose and if Gabriel had a break he would go and pet the beautiful slobbering puppy. One time, after Moose had gotten used to Gabriel, she jumped up on him and was almost his height - her ears at his eye line, they stood like an awkward teen couple at a spring dance ball.

Sam worked down the road at the local garage which he and his brother owned, so on his breaks he would slip out of the workshop and head up to the coffee house, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gabriel and his cheeky smirk. Sam fell in love with Gabriel's drinks... the warmth of hot drinks slipped down his throat, creamy and treacly, the drinks a replica of Gabe's candied personality. Each day they caught glimpses of each other's personalities, leaving them starving for more.


	3. Double Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is Halloween for Gabe and Sam and my sister wrote this chapter because I had real writer's block but I think she did a great job with it! Love you all! x

Halloween was Gabriel’s favourite time of year, the one day that he could get away with causing as much mischief as possible. As a child, his brothers had taught him all sorts of tricks and schemes knowing that, as the youngest, he would be the one least likely to get in trouble with their Dad. This playfulness had only grown as he’d got older, and he was now renown for his Halloween displays, both at home and at his coffee shop, which got bigger and scarier every year.  
Each year brought around a new theme that he planned meticulously, down to the very last detail. One year, he went so far as to repaint the front of his house in Black and White stripes to match his Tim Burton theme. Of course, he’d gone as Beetlejuice, and he’d forced his sister, Anna, to be Lydia, much to her disgruntlement.  
But this year, Gabe would be on his own. His brothers were out of town and his sister was off visiting friends in New York. This was normally their time of year, their chance to put the fear of God in people, but because he would be on his own, Gabe had decided to skip his big Halloween night.  
He still made an effort at work though, he had a certain amount of self-respect. He decided to go with a heaven vs hell theme, seeing as 2016 was pretty much heading that way anyway. By the door, he plugged in his fog machine and in the opposite corner, he installed a set of red lights. Add to that a litter of Evil Dead deadite models thrown all around, alongside random body parts, and Gabe was pretty pleased with how it looked. He added some twinkling fairy lights around his bench (obviously his coffee would be the heavenly element) before pulling on his Angel Wings.  
He’d bought them years ago online, after a very drunk evening, and he still winced when he thought about how much they’d cost, but secretly he loved them. The huge off-white wings fit him perfectly, the feathers trailing down from his ears to past his waist. He loved the way they cast a magnificent shadow behind him, almost engulfing his small frame. At home, lying on his bed, was the rest of his costume - a metal breastplate and toga. He figured that if he was going for the heaven vs hell theme, he might as well be ready for battle. He’d bought his costume before he found out that he would be celebrating alone, and being a practical business owner, he didn’t think he could go full angel warrior at work. So, aside from his wings and a small, gold halo he’d made, the rest of his costume would go unworn until next year.  
As the shop began to fill up, Gabe’s mind became preoccupied with orders, pushing thoughts of a lonely Halloween night to the back of his mind. He kept himself busy most of the day, using Halloween as an excuse to go overboard on everyone’s orders; small drawings on the side of the cups, chocolate coins and gummy worms handed out to kids, even the occasional trick, all these things kept Gabe busy and allowed him to at least enjoy some of Halloween.  
As things began to die down just after lunch, Gabe found himself headfirst wedged in a cabinet, trying desperately to find those extra Halloween cups he had ordered last year. His previous theme had been Twin Peaks, so of course he had gone overboard in the coffee shop. But this year, he had under-ordered, and Gabe now found himself running low on supplies.  
He heard the door open and felt the rush of cold air as it swung shut. ‘Uh, hello?’ came a voice.  
‘One second!’ Gabe called back, as he poked his head around the storage room’s door. It was Sam, on time and perfect as always. He smiled back at his favourite customer, before grabbing the cups from the uppermost shelf and returning to front of the shop. Sam’s eyes didn’t leave him for a moment.  
No one ever had ever really taken notice of Gabe, but Sam did, and it made him feel good. He would ask him about his day, and would remember some small detail that Gabe had told him in passing that even he himself had forgotten about. Gabriel wondered whether this guy knew the impact he had on the barista. Probably not. No one ever bothered with Gabe.  
‘So, two double shots, right?’ Gabe called over his shoulder, turning away from Sam. He allowed himself an extra moment to compose himself, to catch his breath and slow his thumping heart, before turning back to him.  
‘Yeah, please’ Sam replied, breaking into a smile, ‘I don’t think Dean could function without his coffee!’  
As the pair grew closer, they began to learn more and more about each other. Gabriel would purposely take longer to make the drinks in order to spend more time with him. And he was pretty sure that Sam would spend extra long choosing a drink, just to spend more time with him too, even though he ended up ordering the same thing he’d been ordering for the past few weeks now - two black coffees, both double shots. The lemonades and smoothies had begun to die out like the last leaves of the year. Gabriel had at first made Sam and Dean some pumpkin and cinnamon spiced lattes, and whilst Sam had fallen in love with the flavours, they did become a little sickly after a while. So for now, Gabriel stuck to his classic double shot coffee, with just a hint of caramel to sweeten it up.  
As Gabe poured the coffee into two cups, he noticed Sam looking at his wings. For added effect, he shimmied his shoulders slightly, causing Sam to burst out into peals of laughter. Gabe made a mental note to thank drunk Gabe later.  
‘So, uh..’ Sam began, as he scratched the back of his head, focusing all of his attention on the two cups of coffee in Gabe’s hands, as Gabriel added the finishing touches to his daily doodle. ‘You doing anything tonight? For Halloween, I mean.’ He finally looked up at Gabe, and the barista was sure his heartbeat was loud enough to be heard on the other side of the planet.  
‘Um, actually no, not this year.’ Gabe looked down, hating how his voice broke slightly as he talked about spending Halloween alone. It was just a stupid holiday, but it meant a lot to him. He coughed, trying to compose himself, before continuing, ‘my brothers and sister are all out of town this year, so I think I’m just going to leave a big bowl of candy out on the porch, and sit in the dark, getting drunk, watching The Addams Family.’ He’d tried to make it sound funny, but as the words left his mouth, he realised how sad he had come across.  
He looked up at Sam, and saw the almost pitying expression on his face. Realisation spread through Gabe, how could he have been so stupid. This guy was only making polite conversation. He probably didn’t really give a crap about his holiday plans. He was just talking to him to pass the time until this little idiot in front of him handed over his coffee. Hell, he probably only flirted with Gabe because he knew it would get him a better level of service. I mean, what kind of- Gabe’s mind began to whir with ludicrous assumptions even though he truly knew Sam was a friend.  
‘Well, if you’ve got no plans, um, I was wondering whether you maybe wanted to come out with me? I mean, not just me, but my brother and I and.. well, Dean’s having a party see, and he asked if I wanted to ask anyone. It’s just a small thing, you know, but I wondered whether, you don’t have to. This was dumb, forget it. I’m sorry, it’s just I…’ Sam trailed off, and a smile began to play at the corner of Gabe’s mouth. He pursed his lips and looked up at Sam. It hadn’t been pity, it was nerves. Something similar to pride began to swell in Gabe’s chest.  
‘You know, I would really like that’ he smiled, ‘I mean, we are matching, so why not?’ Gabe pointed up at Sam’s devil horns and chuckled as Sam went slightly crossed eyed trying to look at what the barista was pointing at.  
‘Oh, the horns!’ A blush began to spread across Sam’s cheeks, as he laughed nervously. ‘You know, I overheard you talking to another customer the other week, uh, you were talking about the theme you’d chosen for Halloween this year, and, um, I- I thought I would try and match with you.’ The blush deepened across the taller guy’s cheeks, so bright it almost matched the colour of his devil horns.  
Something more than pride was now swelling in Gabe’s chest, something new. Someone had thought of him, someone had taken the time and effort to do something nice for him. No one had ever done this before. He looked away from Sam, feeling the heat rising on his neck and face. ‘Thank you’ he replied, hoping the simple words conveyed how much the gesture meant to him.  
A smile bloomed across Sam’s face, and now it was his turn to look away. ‘So, I’ll text you the details?’  
‘That would be perfect’ Gabe replied, as he scribbled his number onto the side of one of the cups, double and triple checking to make sure it was right. He’d had the same number for as long as he could remember, but he couldn’t risk getting it wrong today. He finally handed over the two steaming cups, making sure to turn the little devil and angel he’d sketched onto one of them to face Sam. ‘See you later’ he called, as the tall, muscular devil left the store.  
Gabe rocked back on his heels, sighed and silently thanked his family for ditching him on Halloween.  
————————————————————————————  
As the last customers began to file out at quarter to 5, Gabe hurriedly cleaned and mopped the coffee shop. Even for Sam, he couldn’t leave his place a mess. He frantically began stuffing Halloween decorations into a box, making a mental note to tidy the box up properly tomorrow. So long as it looked presentable, he could cope with a little mess.  
Sam had sent a text almost as soon as he’d left, thanking him for the coffees and for accepting his invitation. He told him that he could pick him up if Gabe wanted, but Gabe had replied and said that he had to close up the cafe. Really, he just wanted some extra time to prepare and calm himself before going. Sam replied almost instantly with the address, time and a kiss at the end, which of course Gabe didn’t overanalyse at all.  
Sam had told him that the party started at 7, which gave Gabe just enough time to finish locking up, head home, freak out just a little bit and get ready. When he finally put his costume on, Gabe had to admit that he was pretty impressed. In the evening light, his wings appeared tinged with gold, and with light reflecting from his armour, they appeared to shine. He toyed with his halo, before finally taking it off at the door. He didn’t need it when his wings were so impressive.  
Dead on 7, Gabe was standing on Sam’s doorstep. He watched his phone, waiting for a minute to pass - he didn’t want to seem to eager. At 19:01, he knocked loudly on the door. He heard someone shouting, before the door flung open. But it wasn’t Sam. Standing before him, was a tall - well not Sam tall- muscular guy with black, messy hair, wearing a bee costume. It wasn’t Sam, but Gabriel knew him. ‘Cas?’  
The guy looked taken aback, blinking his strikingly blue eyes a few times before replying. ‘Gabe? Oh my god!’ Gabriel surged forward, gripping Cas in a tight embrace.  
As children, Gabriel and Cas had done everything together. They grew up living next to one another, before Cas’ family had moved away. They’d tried to keep in contact, writing every month and sending presents on holidays, but over the years they’d both lost touch. But to see his old friend standing in front of him now, well, Gabe’s evening was beginning to be the best Halloween yet.  
As they pulled apart, the pair fell back into conversation as if no time had passed. Cas explained that after moving away, he attended college, where he met Dean, and the two had been together ever since. As if sensing he was being talked about, a guy, whom Gabriel assumed to be Dean, walked into the hall and wrapped his arm around Cas’ waist. He was a little taller than Cas, but still no where near Sam, and had shorter, light brown hair. He was wearing a bee costume too, to match Castiel, except Dean was sporting a crown as well.  
‘You must be Gabriel’, he smiled, as he pulled Castiel closer to him with one arm, and stretched his other out to shake Gabe’s hand. ‘So, how do you know my honey bee?’  
After explaining their shared childhood, Dean took Cas’ hand in his own before leading them through to the kitchen. They were cute together, Gabe thought, as he watched the pair fall into a silent routine, helping each other out without saying a word, but still blushing and giggling when they caught each other’s eye. Maybe he and Sam could have this, Gabe thought to himself. Stop, don’t get ahead of yourself, you idiot.  
He looked around the kitchen. It was a beautiful, old fashioned room, with a huge cooker on one side and a large counter on the other. Gabe also noticed a complete lack of other people. ‘Uh, can I help you guys with anything? I’m sorry if I showed super early, I’m sure Sam said 7 to me.’ A slight panic was beginning to rise in Gabe. He knew he would get something wrong, that he would mess up in some way.  
Cas turned to him and smiled. ‘No, it’s ok Gabe, don’t worry, I’m sure Sam got it wrong and not you.’  
As Cas and Dean got back to their routine, Gabe checked his phone. Yep, definitely 7. ‘What the hell?’ Gabe muttered under his breath. He’d got to the party exactly when he’d been told to, only to find that not only was he early, but also that his soul reason for coming to the stupid party had yet to make an appearance. ‘Fine,’ Gabe thought, ‘have it your way Sammy’. That was it, no more playing nice now. He’d made an effort, he’d shown up on time, and this guy couldn’t even be bothered to answer the freaking door himself. He might as well go home, what was even the point in staying if he was just going to watch his childhood friend be all happy and in love, whilst he waited for the tall one to show up.  
As Gabe turned towards the door, Sam finally emerged, lumbering through the door towards the kitchen like the giant he was. He still had his small devil horns perched on the top of his head, but now a tail and pitchfork had been added to the outfit, along with a red shirt and black jeans. He looked good, Gabe thought, but no, he was mad at him. He would make an excuse and then leave.  
When Sam caught sight of him, his eyes lit up, and Gabe’s stomach knotted tightly. Shit, this guy had a hold on him already. ‘Gabe!’ Sam cried, sweeping the little guy up into his arms in a tight hug, lifting him off his feet. ‘I’m so glad you came tonight’, he smiled putting Gabe back down again, but leaving one hand trailing on his waist.  
Gabriel thought he could smell the faintest hint of alcohol on Sam, but put it down to the party atmosphere. ‘Yeah, hey Sammy, um here’s the thing,’ he began, scratching the back of his head. ‘I actually have to-‘  
‘No, no no no no!’ Sam cried, covering Gabe’s mouth with his giant hand. ‘I know exactly what you’re going to say, and no, you’re not going anywhere. You just got here man, please!’ Sam looked dejectedly up at him, and in that instant, Gabe knew he wasn’t going anywhere. ‘I’m sorry I told you to get here early, I just wanted you to meet Dean and Cas before everyone else turns up, and,’ Sam swallowed hard, and Gabriel couldn’t tear his eyes away from Sam’s lips as he softly chewed at them, ‘And, I wanted a chance to talk to you properly.’  
Gabe swore his heart grew three sizes in that moment, as Sam took his hand and led him to a small area outside on the back porch of the house. He pulled two chairs out, and the pair didn’t move from their spots for the rest of the evening.  
Despite Sam acting as host, he never left Gabriel’s side, introducing him to all of his friends and always making sure he was ok. The time flew by, as Gabe learned more about Sam than he knew about almost every other person in his life. This wasn’t just the small snippets of information they shared in the shop, this was a proper conversation. This was more than a few stolen minutes on a break, this was honest and open, and Gabriel loved it. Sam talked of his parents and growing up moving from town to town, but mostly, he spoke to Gabriel about Cas and Dean. His brother was his world, and his relationship with Cas appeared to be central to his brothers very existence.  
‘Yeah’, Sam sighed, ‘Dean and Cas have been through a lot, but they’re always there for each other. Now, it’s almost strange to think of one without the other.’ Gabriel turned to look at Sam, but he’d glanced away, staring in to the house through a window. Dean and Cas were inside, talking to different people, but still leaning towards one another, like each is the others own personal gravity, fingers intertwined at all times. A sense of longing began to pull at Gabe’s heart. Maybe one day, he thought, as his gaze drifted back to the younger Winchester. He smiled to himself, and checked the time.  
Hours had flown past and it hadn’t even registered. Being with Sam changed everything for him, it made the very foundations Gabriel was built on shift, but he loved it. ‘Sam, I- I have to go’ he said quietly, not wanting the evening to end, hoping this would be the big moment that, for this first time in his life, he would be swept off his feet, and whisked away. But Sam only nodded slowly, and began to lead Gabriel through the throngs of people inside.  
When they reached the front porch, Sam pulled the door shut behind them, leaving the pair alone in the quiet night. Gabriel wanted nothing more than to jump up, wrap his arms around Sam’s neck and sink into the best kiss of his life. But he held back. Every fibre of his body was telling him to go for it, to make that plunge, and risk it, but he didn’t. He wasn’t sure why, but something told him to stop.  
Not like this. Not yet. Sam’s beautiful eyes had slight a glaze from the beer that he’d consumed through the night. If it was ever going to happen Gabe wanted both of them to remember every minuscule detail about it.  
‘I had a lovely time Sammy, thank you for everything,’ Gabriel said softly, peeking up at him through his eyelashes. As he began to turn away, Sam pulled him up again into a hug, but this time, it felt different. This time, Sam clung to him as if he were made of pure gold, pulling him tighter and fitting his head into the crook in Gabe’s neck. The golden feathers of his wings intermingled with Sam’s satin hair, and in that second they were one.  
Despite his feet hanging in the air, Gabriel felt as if he could stay like this forever. He thought of Dean and Castiel, and the perfect life they seemed to have forged for themselves, being complete together and whole with one another, and he hugged Sam a little tighter.  
Not like this.  
As Sam slowly let go, and placed Gabriel back on the floor, he brought his head down to touch Gabriel’s. He could have done it then, he could have sunk into those arms and never looked back. But he didn’t. He held back.  
Gabriel stared deep into Sam’s eyes. He could have stayed in that moment forever. ‘Goodnight Sammy’ he whispered, as he placed a delicate kiss on Sam’s forehead, before disappearing into the night. ‘See you tomorrow.’


	4. Black Cherry Bourbon Hot Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas visit Gabe at the cafe! *heart eyes*

The 2nd November was important to Gabriel. He had the respect to leave a day after Halloween before getting into a total different festive mood, but the 2nd November was the day he allowed himself to start subtly decorating for the holiday season. His favourite, of course, was the expansive range of hot chocolates that he now felt obliged to brew. 

On the colder days of November and December in years gone by, he'd gone through bottle after bottle of whipped cream; no matter how much he bought, he would always seem to need more. The strong sent of cinnamon stung the air on the crisp morning of the 2nd November sending chills down Gabe's spine as the door swung open, inviting two new customers in.

Dean held the door open for Cas like the true gentleman he was, his eyes never leaving his boyfriend as he followed behind. Today, both of them lacked their fluffy yellow antennas. Cas attempted to fix his hair, now ruffled from the gust of wind that had swept them into the toasty coffee house, whilst Dean swaddled his boyfriend in a bundle of strong arms attempting to share his warmth. 

They chose one of the small sofas in the corner of the café, next to one of the large, front windows that was steamed up. Cas plopped himself in the corner and Dean threw his jacket down next to him, preparing to order them both some drinks. Gabriel watched the pair interact so perfectly with each other, as there was no one waiting to be served, and his mind drifted to the hope of one day being that comfortable with someone else, someone in particular. He hadn't always dreamt of settling down but it had seemingly become default for the Gabriel to wonder about a future for him - get married, a couple of dogs, maybe a kid (not a baby goat though as his dad had always teased him) and a nice house with a porch. Ugh, what a soppy romantic he was becoming. Disgusted by himself, Gabriel let his elbow, which he was propping himself up on, slip to his side and took a more upright position behind the counter as Dean strode over.

"Can I get uhhh... ooo," Dean's eyes lit up as they halted on the Holy Grail of Christmas drinks, "two black cherry bourbon hot chocolates!" Yet after the joy in his voice evaporated into the warm air of the cafe, a stronger mood grew in his eyes. Gabriel couldn't fully figure Dean out, he seemed nice - the way he looked after Cas was beautiful but as he stood tall, he seemingly looked down upon Gabriel. The guy puffed out his chest, kinda like a peacock - Gabriel was unsure whether he was lovely and beautiful or just defensive and aggressive. "So, uh, you know Sam, he talks about you a lot, I mean, a lot a lot." Dean squinted a little at Gabriel, his voice deep, the words gently dropping from his lips. Gabriel couldn’t work out whether this was the older brother pep talk, or that Dean just didn’t like him. Either way, he was a little taken aback by Dean.

A blush grew on Gabe's cheeks and he could feel it. He swirled around quickly, choosing to ignore Dean’s comment rather than answer, and begun making the drinks. He scurried about quickly, once again bringing out an array of different bottles and shakers, even the glacé cherries that he topped some of his favourite customer's drinks with. He might as well bring out the big guns to try and impress. Gabriel made both drinks with his back to Dean, the only noise exchanged between them after Dean's comment was his gentle humming of an old Kansas song and the clatter Gabriel made with the millions of utensils he used to make the bubbling hot chocolates. When the drinks were finished in all their intricate glory, he turned around to find Castiel had appeared and had snuggled his chin into the crook of Dean's neck. They stood wrapped together, almost like one, with Cas clinging to Dean like a human koala. Cas smiled softly, and Gabriel felt a lot more comfortable even though he could still feel Dean’s eyes burrowing into him.

"Doesn't Sam talk about Gabriel a lot, Cas?" Dean smirked slightly, as if he was almost relishing in teasing Gabriel. His eyes narrowed slightly, following him like a panther watching its prey, judging every inch of Gabriel's face, looking for any slight response.

"Winchester." Cas' grumpy voice warned Dean to play nice, but he quickly followed his chastising with a gentle peck on his boyfriend’s stubble. 

"Uh, okay cool. Well say hi to Sam for me!" Gabe attempted to supress the deep flush that was running to his cheeks, but he knew his attempt was in vain as he felt his face heat up at the thought of Sam. He had, in fact, already seen him that morning - it was a beautiful sight. Sam was bundled in a big, knitted scarf and his fluffy hair was pushed down over his face because of the snug beanie that slouched at the back of his neck. Gabriel could tell he was beginning to daydream so snapped himself out of it and pushed the two drinks forward to Dean and Cas.

"Sam is such a good brother, kind hearted you know? I would hate if anyone was to ever break his heart, seriously fucking hate it. I mean, that kid deserves the best, and if anyone hurt him, anyone at all, they would be praying for the sweet release of death. Know what I mean Gabriel?" Dean didn’t wait for Gabriel to reply, and instead pushed forward on his own task to set things straight with him; Dean wasn't going to leave the counter until he'd fully fulfilled his role as older brother.

Gabriel's blush deepened, his eyes grew wide at the threat, and he bit on the lower lip slightly.

"Dean." Cas muttered, both attempting to calm his little het up baby and also warn him not to cross the line. Gabriel was Cas’ oldest friend after all. "Gabriel, why don't you come to ours tonight. I am hosting a games night!" The excitement grew in Cas' voice as he changed the subject, for which Gabe was incredibly thankful. Cas loved board games, always had, and was just getting back into them after spending so much time at college playing Legend of Zelda with Dean. They would meet every evening to "study" and ended up staying up till the early hours until their thumbs were indented from the controller buttons. Now, they didn't even use the excuse...

" That sound great Cas, really, but uhhh... do you guys... want me there?" Gabriel loved games just as much as Cas. The idea of Castiel hosting a games night brought back nostalgic memories of their hour-long quests of Dungeons & Dragons when they were little. Castiel would only play if he was the dungeon master though; he even had a little cape to wear and everything.

"Of course we want you to come Gabe!" Castiel glared at Dean to respond similarly, but only managed to edge a smile out of him.  
"Yeah come." Dean let out grumpily, turning to Castiel expecting a kiss as a thank you for being nice, only to be turned down as Cas picked up their drinks and winked at Dean as he walked back to their table.

Castiel had grown more confident since Gabriel had known him. He was cheeky and funny, but still had his very 'Cas' quirk - it was unexplainable and like no other person Gabriel had known. He watched as the two walked away from the counter. He was excited to see Sam again, but a little worried about Dean. Come on, if there was any chance of Sam and Gabe getting together, Dean would have to like him. The thought played on Gabriel's mind for the rest of his work day, preparing things to say later in the night that he was pretty sure Dean would laugh at.

What he didn't know was that Dean already had a soft spot for him, it helped that Cas liked him too, but in all honesty, Dean was pleased for Sam, it was about time the kid caught a break. But Dean took his role as older, over-protective brother seriously, and he insisted on fulfilling the role, right down to putting the fear of God in the dude in love with his brother. 

Castiel and Dean sat for hours talking and laughing - Gabriel had never seen such love. They weren't just boyfriends; they were best friends; they were soul mates. Cas and Dean shared one of the large squishy leather couches in the corner of the café, next to the window plastered with condensation. Castiel had drawn a little bumblebee that was now beginning to drip down little droplets on the window. They sat for hours upon end; their conversation never failed to flow - so perfectly content with each other's company that a shred of awkward silence couldn't be found between the two of them. Gabriel kept serving drinks to the long queue that had piled up by 4 in the afternoon but waved goodbye to the couple as Dean called: "See you at 6!" He seemed much cheerier than earlier, maybe he'd had Castiel's sharing of bourbon or maybe he was just genuinely excited to see Gabriel later.

The last drink of the day that Gabe made was a double shot latte with two pumps of maple syrup: for himself. Buzzing because of the caffeine, he managed to clean the coffee house in half the time it usually took him. Gabriel liked this time of the day; the sun let in a bright glow and allowed the empty café to shine in all its glory. He felt like a little elf, cleaning up after everyone else had left and preparing for another day of cookie crumbs and chocolate dusting tomorrow.  
That bubble of anticipation grew again inside Gabriel's stomach at the thought of seeing Sam. He couldn't believe that he was getting the chance to go round to Sam's house again... and so soon. No, Gabriel was never nervous, only excited. He gulped down hard and his usually charming smirk grew back. He was determined to be his usual cool self and no way in hell was he turning down the chance to see the guy who made his heart skip a beat again.

"Let's get this show on the road!" He muttered to himself as he locked up the coffee house, a skip in his step as he strolled back to his apartment, making a mental note to not wear his angel costume this time! Instead, he picked up his old Dungeons and Dragons board game and a cape, hoping Cas would get the joke. Even if no one else did, Gabriel found himself incredibly amusing.


End file.
